Amherst high school probes racial assault

July 6, 2014

AMHERST, Mass. (AP) — Amherst’s top school official says an incident in which a white student was assaulted by nonwhite students has been investigated and resolved.

The Daily Hampshire Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/1lKDu5E ) that Superintendent Maria Geryk said the fight last spring was unrelated to other racial incidents at Amherst Regional High School that led to the creation of a task force to reduce racial tensions.

She says school officials handled the case internally and spoke with the family of the student who was assaulted. Geryk said the procedure is standard.

In March, Amherst school officials announced unspecified disciplinary action and other steps against students involved in bullying and racial harassment at the school in January.

A student posted a Facebook message in January claiming he brought a gun to protect himself from bullying. School was closed in response.